Bulldogs board sacking: Lynne Anderson quits as Canterbury saga comes to an end
The long-running Canterbury boardroom drama has finally claimed chair Lynne Anderson’s scalp, as the Bulldogs miss out on one of their key player recruitment targets.
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Bulldogs chair Lynne Anderson and directors John Ballesty and Paul Dunn have stood down from their roles on the Canterbury board to prevent an extraordinary general meeting to remove them which has infuriated the club’s major sponsors.
It comes as Canterbury have missed out on a big signing target, with rookie Penrith flyer Charlie Staines turning down the Bulldogs to remain at the Panthers.
The Daily Telegraph reported last Thursday that the trio were on the verge of standing down
as the Bulldogs’ major sponsor – the $800 million Laundy hotel group – threatened to abandon its $2 million of funding in the wake of a boardroom brawl they described as “political bastardry”.
The trio were swept into power on a reform ticket in 2018, replacing former chairman Ray Dib and others, but have been unable to turn around the Bulldogs’ fortunes.
“The Bulldogs Football Club can confirm that Chair Lynne Anderson and Directors Paul Dunn and John Ballesty will stand down from the Board of the Bulldogs Football Club with immediate effect,” the Bulldogs said in a statement.
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“The trio have confirmed that this decision was done to avoid the club having to go through an EGM and in the best interests of the club moving forward.
“The Football Club would like to sincerely thank Lynne, Paul and John for their time, effort and commitment during their time on the Board and wish them every success in the future.
Dunn was only recently appointed as chairman of the Canterbury Leagues club, a position he will now have to relinquish.
The three board members have come to the realisation that they lack the support to survive.
Their departure leaves Peter Mortimer, Joe Thomas, John Khoury and Adrian Turner as the surviving directors at the embattled club.
They will now turn to the membership to replace the three departing directors.
It’s been a tumultuous day for the Bulldogs after incoming coach Trent Barrett’s rebuild of the playing roster took its first hit when key recruitment target Staines re-signed with Penrith.
Staines burst onto the scene back in round nine where he scored four tries in what was his NRL debut. He consolidated his reputation as a try scoring machine, adding two more four pointers to his tally, in round 12 against Manly. Staines suffered a grade two hamstring strain in that match and has been sidelined since.
Staines was viewed so highly at Canterbury that new sponsor and pub baron Arthur Laundy was set to personally visit the family of the 20-year old in Forbes.
Barrett, the current Penrith assistant coach, had identified Staines as part of his rebuild at Belmore but the Panthers confirmed the flyer had extended his time with the club until the end of season 2023.
“Panthers has done so much for me and my family so it feels good to repay that faith they’ve shown in me,” Staines said.
“I took my time to consider all options but at the end of the day my heart is here in Penrith and I’m very happy to re-sign.
“There’s such a special bond that all the players and staff have here. It feels like a big family.
“Wherever I can fit into this team moving forward, I’ll play, because I just want to be a part of it.”
The Bulldogs will now turn their attention to Staines’ teammate at Penrith rising five-eighth Matt Burton, who is contracted until the end of the season 2021.
BOARD FUTURE
With Anderson, Ballesty and Dunn standing down there is talk that former politician Craig Laundy, who is a football club member, will be sounded out as a potential candidate.
The Laundy Group recently came on board as a potential sponsor of the football club.
Craig and his brother Stu Laundy will be meeting a key Bulldogs powerbroker in the coming days.
Craig Laundy, a minister in Malcolm Turnbull’s old government, was savage in his criticism of club members when The Daily Telegraph last week reported the trio were set to stand down and threatened to withdraw the sponsorship.
“I’ve been around politics for a long time,” Laundy said, “This is my first dance with rugby league and Canterbury’s politics.
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“I’ve seen some silly things happen in my time but to see this happen, instigated by members before we have oxygen and clear air with a new coach and new players, I would consider it an act of political bastardry. We’re watching with great interest.”
Laundy says his family would have no hesitation in getting out.
“If there were to be changes at board level, we’d need to know those people on the new board would share our vision for the club,” he said.
“We agreed to be involved and sign on in good faith with the board as it is currently configured.
“We have the ability to walk away. We need to have confidence in the people running the club.”
He says his father Arthur Laundy, who owns 72 hotels and is worth $800 million, was hoping to be involved long term.
“We want to dip our toes into the water for the next two years, but, if it goes as well as we hoped it would, I would consider it a lifelong involvement,” he said.
“Dad is absolutely committed to the long term future of this club.
“If the members have another person prepared to open a war chest, beyond our original two years and well into the future, put your hand up and we’ll says thanks very much and go.”
Ballesty had come under fire recently over his role in the Laundy sponsorship and his failure to disclose his business interests in one of the family’s hotels.
“We can’t believe, because things are on the up and up, that they’d choose this point in time, this close to having the new coach at pre-season, to call on an extraordinary general meeting,” Laundy said.
“I’d call on anyone who has signed the document for an EGM to have a think about the impact on the new squad, the new squad and the people we are trying to sign.
“It sends a bad message. The hard yards have been done by this current board.
“This club needs to be unified and working in one direction.”
Originally published as Bulldogs board sacking: Lynne Anderson quits as Canterbury saga comes to an end